The Lebashe Investment Group buys Tiso Blackstar including TV channels like the Home Channel, Ignition and Business Day TV for R1.05 billion.

The Lebashe Investment Group has acquired the media, broadcasting and content group, Tiso Blackstar Holdings for R1.05 billion.

The sale includes its stable of TV channels under its Blackstar TV division like The Home Channel (DStv 176), Ignition (DStv 189) and Business Day TV (DStv 412) that are available on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, as well as its TV production division, Ochre, making TV content for various channels.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals but should become commercially effective by 30 November 2019.

Besides its TV channel assets, Tiso Blackstar with a presence in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya owns newspapers like The Sunday Times, Business Day and Financial Mail.

Tshepo Mahloele, Lebashe Investment chairperson, says in a statement "We believe that Lebashe provides a compelling growth opportunity for the media, broadcasting and content businesses in the Tiso Blackstar stable".

"Our combination of specialist Pan-African expertise, technological and financial acumen, make us the ideal partner to take this business to the next level."

"As long-term investors, we are quite excited about this transaction which complements our current portfolio and growth trajectory. We anticipate that our newly acquired media assets will play a critical role in our ambition to create a significant investment company on the continent."

"Whilst the media industry, in general, is undergoing disruption, we believe that the assets we are acquiring are generating sustainable revenues to withstand the change in the medium term."

"Moreover, we are acquiring leading brands supported by a good team. It is our plan to support the editorial team with an advisory council made up of eminent local and international persons. Our long-term approach to investing will also enable us to focus on the growth of quality journalism which should add to the positive experience of our customers and the country in general," said Tshepo Mahloele.

"We look forward to working with the management team to take the business to the next level in this highly competitive media landscape. We are cognisant of the fact that we are acquiring mature, but quality media assets with a rich heritage built on the back of quality journalism supported by discerning and loyal readers."

"We plan to maintain and enhance the distinctive value proposition offered by these various platforms to the readers and advertisers, as we explore new growth areas for the business including creating a Pan-African wide media platform using technology as an enabler."

 Andrew Bonamour, Tiso Blackstar CEO, says "This is a perfect opportunity for a new owner to take it to greater heights".

BREAKING. Weekend-run Ignition to become a full TV channel on DStv's platform from 5 July; plans to double viewing audience in a year.

The up til now weekend run Ignition TV channel (DStv 189) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform will be turned into a 24-hour, 7 day a week full TV channel from Saturday 5 July.

Ignition, run by Times Media TV only ran on weekends since it launched in 2008, but now wants to try and double its viewership within the next year.

Ignition's programming and broadcasting expansion comes after the launch late last year of the Bi-Cars TV channel on Platco Digital's OpenView HD (OVHD) free-to-air satellite TV platform which is centred around the lifestyle of bikers, motorist who love street Moto-sport, Moto-fashion, Moto-sport trend setters, spinners, drifters, dragsters and followers.

Ignition plans to expand its programming slate with 20 new hours of programming weekly, promising "some of the best motoring content from around the globe", as well as more local TV production covering the South African motoring industry.

Ignition, stylised as IGNITION, "has proved a hit with car-mad viewers over the past five years and the opportunity to give them a chance to feed their obsession during the week as well, has been long awaited," says Lindsay Vine Smyth, the executive producer of the channel.

"South Africans don't just love cars, they live cars," says Vernon Matzopoulos, Times Media TV head, in a statement.

"While our new Ignition line-up stays true to the passion of the brand, it's also becoming a bit younger, hipper and funkier.

"Ignition has gone from strength to strength as a weekend offering and we're delighted that this much-loved TV channel will now be available 24 hours, 7 days a week on the DStv platform," says Aletta Alberts, the general manager for content for MultiChoice.

"Local entertainment is very important to our customers and Ignition will continue to deliver more exciting local content to a predominantly male audience in the lifestyle genre," says Aletta Alberts.

Ignition is developing Laduma with Vooma, a peek into the motoring lives of South Africa's top soccer stars and Tuned in SA, a showcase of what the country's top tuners are up to.

The Bike Show, That 4X4 Show and Street Rods Africa are also planned for the coming months.

New international shows on Ignition include Supercars, a German-produced series going under the hoods of the world's fastest and most expensive vehicles, and I Want That Car which takes British vehicle buyers to famous race tracks in the United Kingdom to size up three different options.

Fast Machines with Funkmaster Flex looks at celebrity rides.

Programming note: The Bike Show, a new magazine show for 'everything on two wheels', starting Saturday 7 April on Ignition for 13 episodes.

Photo: Eric Buijs

The Bike Show is a brand-new local magazine show for motorcycle enthusiasts in South Africa that will start on Ignition (DStv 265) this Saturday 7 April at 12:00 (repeat at 20:00), with Jack Devnarain as the presenter and the top SA bike racer Clinton Seller (above) as the fast lap bike test driver.

Jack Devnarain (who owns a Harley-Davidson Sportster) will present the show about all things on two wheels. ''We'll be talking straight about a whole range of biking topics, and we'll be having fun doing it,'' he says.

The Bike Show will highlight all the latest motorbikes on the market and include opinions from well-known motorcycle journalists and industry players in a first season of 13 episodes.

The seasoned journalist Mat Durrans will bring the latest tests from the field who is also a producer of the show, while Clinton Seller will take often unsuitable machines during a fast lap for the weekly Bike Show TT.

Guests will also discuss the latest in biking accessories and The Bike Show will provide the latest news and events from the local motorbike industry.

''We know this is a format that works,'' says Lindsay Vine, Ignition channel's executive producer. ''Our viewers love having the variety of opinions we offer in our flagship motoring magazine programme Ignition GT, so it made sense to bring the same diversity and honesty that a panel discussion offers to our bike viewers.''

The Bike Show will be broadcast every Saturday on Ignition at 02:00, 12 and 20:00 (all South African times) and with repeats on Sundays at 08:00, 16:00 and 23:30.

BREAKING. Sexy, slutty and super silly: Ignition will have viewers foaming with the silly Sexy Car Wash game show.

You're reading it here first.

Somewhat slutty, definitely sexy and just totally over-the-top. Sometimes TV is called the boob tube. Sometimes TV is not educational, not informative, and just simply bubblegum for the eyes. Sometimes TV is just a guilty pleasure. Yes. Get ready for a show that absolutely has no deserving qualities at all, other than just being deliciously crazy to watch with beautiful girls: Sexy Car Wash on Ignition (DStv 265)!

In what is surely going to have viewers foaming at the mouth, Sexy Car Wash is the ultimate in eye-candy filled, gratuitous television - it has no purpose but viewers are going to love it. Ignition just started broadcasting an Italian game show at midnight on Fridays called Sexy Car Wash. What it's about is just unbelievable but true: a bevy of beauties, all wet and foamy, slithering and gyrating, trying to distract male contestants who are trying to answer questions.

The quiz is about sport, cars and girls - all in Italian (but subtitled!). Winner guys gets a foamy, total body washdown by the six sexy girls for the car . . . and for him! ''So, Masimmo for three-a points, what-a you call the sexy bikini this-a bambina wears: a, a thong, b, a g-string, or c, a pantaloon?'' And that's one of the more difficult questions.

''Sexy Car Wash is bound to get people talking,'' says Ignition. ''Some would argue that it's a post-modern ironic deconstruction of the classic game show format. Others might see it as cheap thrills with half-naked girls. We'll let the viewers decide.''

Viewers . . . start your engines. The boob tube just got even more silly.